


A Tale of Two Wallys

by theungenue



Category: Teen Titans, Young Justice
Genre: Between Seasons, Cross Over, Crossover, Earth 16, F/M, Gen, Post-Canon, interdimensional twins, speedster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-03
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-21 18:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1560428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theungenue/pseuds/theungenue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kid Flash from the "Teen Titans" universe crashes into Earth-16 in order to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. He meets his interdimensional twin Wally West and the Team, but can they get along enough to rescue Jinx? Takes place between season 1 and 2 of "Young Justice" and after season five of "Teen Titans." Crossposted on fanfiction.net.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lucky

**Author's Note:**

> This story is cross-posted on fanfiction.net by Luckysox, my old fanfiction account from high school. I'm posting it on AO3 because 1) I'm trying to finally finish it and 2) if I don't, I can orphan it and someone else can. Also, I'm new to AO3, so the formatting may be weird. If you like the story or have critiques, free free to kudos and/or leave reviews!

“Two large pizzas and a salad,” Kid Flash said to the waiter at the pizza parlor. He put his feet up on the table. “And make it fast.” He was slapped sharply on the shoulder, knocking him off balance.

“Use some manners KF.” Jinx said critically. Turning to the waiter, Jinx softened and added “Hold the dressing please.”

It was evening in Central City, and after a long day of crime fighting and butt kicking, the pair decided to finally put up their feet and relax—literally in Kid Flash’s case. The two sat at a table outside, the sun gradually setting beneath the skyline of the city. Central City was Kid Flash’s hometown, and when he wasn’t helping out in Jump or Steel City he mostly performed his heroic duties there. It was familiar. He knew the terrain. He could navigate the city at light speed with his eyes closed. 

Jinx liked living there for the exact opposite reason. No one knew about her past villainy. Since taking up the hero mantle, Jinx had been completed accepted as an honorary Titan and her past crimes were pardoned. The citizens never really forgot though. It was hard to forget the pink haired witch who cursed you, smashed your windows, and stole your money. Starting anew in Central City was also attractive since her boyfriend liked it so much.

“Hey!” Kid Flash said suddenly. “I just remembered, today is July 7th! It’s the luckiest day of the year you know.”

“Oh the irony.” Jinx said, rolling her eyes. “Felt any luckier today than usual?”

“I’m always lucky.” Kid Flash cracked a half smile. “I’ve always got my lucky charm with me.” Jinx smiled back. 

“Well look who’s the charmer. Aren’t I supposed to be the one with magical powers?” Jinx raised an eyebrow. Kid Flash scooted closer and put his arm around his girlfriend. She just laid her head on his shoulder when Kid Flash heard footsteps behind him.

“Pizza?!” Kid Flash exclaimed jumping to his feet and spinning around. 

He was shocked to find himself face to face with a stranger, a creepy pale teenage in black formal attire with two long horns protruding from his greasy mop of hair. A cat with uncanny eyes lay on the boys shoulder. Kid Flash narrowed his eyes.

“You don’t have any piz--” Kid Flash was cut off by red energy blasts from the stranger’s hands. The blast threw him to the side against a wall. Kid Flash recovered quickly, only to find that he was trapped in a strange magical cage. He bounced off its walls and tried to vibrate his molecules and phase through, but he was met with shocking resistance. Meanwhile, Jinx had sprung into action.

“That’s my boyfriend you blasted!” Jinx screeched, her eyes flashing pink. She sent waves of pink energy towards the boy. Debris was hurtled towards the stranger, but he summoned a shield of red energy to protect himself. He let out a sharp laugh.

“You can’t destroy me.” The boy said in his awful, high pitched voice. He advanced towards Jinx, backing her against the wall. “Your powers cause bad luck and destruction. I am chaos. Your little magic is meaningless against me.” 

“Jinx run!” Kid Flash yelled from within the red cage. He started charging at the walls again, desperate to break through. Jinx turned to escape but was bound in red magic as well.

“However,” the boy continued. “Your brand of witchcraft is exactly what we need to further our plans.” Jinx struggled against her bonds.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I don’t do crime anymore!” Jinx grunted as she struggled. “I’ll never help you!”

“Don’t worry.” The boy said with an uncanny smile plastered across his face. He waved his hand and a red portal appeared. “You will see the light.” 

The portal engulfed the boy and Jinx. The red cage immediately disappeared, freeing Kid Flash. He sped towards where the portal was, but it had already disintegrated. 

He stood in the empty, half destroyed pizza parlor with slumped shoulders. He couldn’t believe it. He let that creep sneak up on them and kidnap his girlfriend. He felt his jaw and fists clench in anger. He was going to find her, and next time he wouldn’t let this creepy kid surprise him.

That kid wasn’t going to get away with this.

Kid Flash swallowed and pulled out his communicator, and made a call.  
***

Mount Justice  
January 20, 19:34 EDT  
“We have reason to suspect Klarion is planning something.” Batman said. “This might mean that whatever organization was behind the Starro Tech scheme might be at work again as well.” 

“Sweet!” said Kid Flash triumphantly. The others turned to look at him, and Artemis rolled her eyes. “Sorry, it’s not like I missed Klarion or anything, cause I can’t stand the guy with the creepy magic mumbo jum—I’m just excited to finally have another real mission.”

The Team was gathered in the cave for a mission briefing by Batman. There weren’t as many covert ops missions lately as the ominous criminal organization behind the activities between July and New Year’s had abruptly gone underground. This meant the Team trained more with their mentors, and got to know each other better. Superman not only acknowledged Superboy’s existence, but they trained frequently. The turbulent relationship between Wally and Artemis had escalated since their New Year’s kiss. The other New Year’s kisses didn’t amount of much. Zatanna and Robin, while both acknowledging their feelings, didn’t actually care to solidify them into an official relationship. Rocket and Aqualad had gotten closer, but it was hard to tell if there was anything romantic lurking beneath Aqualad’s serious demeaner or Rocket’s tough-girl attitude. Romance aside, New Year’s was definitely a turning point for the Team that deepened their bond.

“I haven’t minded the downtime.” Miss Martian quipped cheerfully, glancing at Superboy.

“Hopefully you haven’t grown negligent of your training and skills in your downtime,” Batman said seriously. “Because you might have your hands full with this.”

He turned to the computer and brought up a couple of large images. They showed Klarion escorted by thugs from the League of Shadows into a building, Teekl perched on his shoulder. A strange girl with pink hair could be seen walking with him. Klarion guided the girl into the building with his hand on the small of her back.

“Who’s the girl? I didn’t know Klarion had a girlfriend,” joked Robin. 

“I’ve run her face through the Justice League databases,” said Batman. “There’s no record of her anywhere. It’s like she doesn’t exist.” 

“Klarion is not from this world.” Zatanna said. “That’s why he needs his familiar, to bind him to this plane of existence. Maybe she’s from wherever Klarion came from.”

“She doesn’t have a familiar in the footage.” Aqualad said, stepping forward. “But we shouldn’t rule that out.”

“Your mission,” began Batman. “Is strictly for reconnaissance purposes only. Break up into two teams, and you will investigate the last places they were seen, as well as Klarion’s old haunts. You are to find out what they may be planning and the identity of the girl.”

“Understood.” said Aqualad. “Superboy, Rocket, Zatanna, and I will take the supercycle. Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Robin, and Artemis will take the bioship.”


	2. Decon

San Francisco  
January 20, 19:13 PST 

Miss Martian was driving the bioship while Robin, Artemis, and Kid Flash sat at their stations, ready for the mission. They were estimated to reach their destination in about 15 more minutes. Kid Flash was fidgeting in his seat.

“So Artemis,” Kid Flash said, spinning his chair towards her. “Excited about the mission?”

“Obviously not as excited as you.” Artemis replied with a playful smirk. “It’s only a recon mission.”

“Recon missions never end up just being recon missions!” Kid Flash said excitedly. “We always land ourselves into more trouble than we bargain for. And anyways, I’m dying to try vibrating my molecules in action.” Robin laughed at KF’s last comment.

“You haven’t even managed to do it once with getting a bloody nose.” Robin mocked. 

“I’ve been practicing!” Kid Flash said indignantly, spinning to face Robin. He turned to Artemis, who looked skeptical. “Trust me on this one.” 

Artemis’s skeptical face softened. “I trust you Wally.” She said. “I just don’t want you to do something stupid—or, more stupid than usual—that will get you hurt.” Kid Flash smiled back at her.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll get lucky this time.” Robin said playfully.

“No such thing.” Kid Flash said confidently, sitting back with his hands behind his head. “Luck is as phony as magic. I’ll succeed because of my own awesome skills.” Artemis rolled her eyes. After all they had been through with Klarion and Dr. Fate, KF still was in denial.

The bioship swooped down over a complex of warehouses by the docks. The Team left it camouflaged in the air as they dropped down amongst the buildings. Artemis took out her bow and strung an arrow. Miss Martian entered her own camouflage mode, and established a telepathic link between the Team. Kid Flash’s gear was in stealth mode as well. Robin, the appointed leader of this group, motioned for them to move forward. The warehouse complex appeared to be deserted. Without a word the Team advanced, backs against the wall of a warehouse. Creeping around a corner, Kid Flash watched a patrol of thugs slide open a warehouse door. Light emerged from the warehouse briefly, but quickly vanished as the door slivered shut.

“That looks promising,” quipped Kid Flash through the telepathic link. “Let’s check it out.”

“Shouldn’t we contact the others?” Miss Martian asked. 

“Not until we confirm that Klarion is here.” Robin said. “We don’t want to call the rest of the Team or Batman if this is just some red herring.”

The four snuck closer to the warehouse. A stack of crates stood like a pyramid against the outside wall of the crate. It was easy getting to the roof really. A skylight was in the middle of the warehouse roof. Careful not to step too loudly, the Team peered through the skylight. Sure enough, there were a couple groups of thugs at attention and ready. Klarion and the strange girl were in the middle. The Team didn’t get that good a look at the girl from the surveillance footage, but now they could see her clearly. She was very pale, with pink hair styled as two ringed horns. She wore dark gothic attire, with striped tights and platform boots. 

“No way is that girl Klarion’s girlfriend.” Kid Flash said. “She’s too hot.” Artemis whipped her head around to stare at her boyfriend. “I’m just making observations here!” Artemis smirked at him and turned back to the skylight. The group watched for a couple minutes without speaking. 

“Hold on.” Artemis said. “This doesn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean? This is like the easiest mission ever.” Kid Flash said confidently. He tried to get closer to the skylight, but Robin held him back.

“When are our missions ever this easy?” Robin said. He turned on his radio to call Batman, but the radio emitted harsh feedback. “Radio’s jammed. KF, help me fix it.” While Robin and Kid Flash messed with his radio, the others continued to look through the skylight. Nothing was happening. They appeared to be standing around, waiting for someone else to show up. 

Artemis narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to the glass, watching the strange girl. Without warning, the pink-haired girl whipped around and locked eyes with Artemis. They were pink, with cat-like irises. They briefly glowed pink, causing Artemis’s skin to prickle.

“Guys,” Artemis said through the link. The glass creaked sharply. “We should get out of here.” A visible crack abruptly shot through the glass. Artemis stared wide-eyed as the crack slowly branched out.

“They know we’re here.” Miss Martian exclaimed. “This is a trap!”

As Miss Martian telepathically said those words, the skylight shattered releasing a shower of glass down into the warehouse. The sudden movement and noise caused Artemis to lose her balance and tumble through the skylight. Miss M grabbed Artemis with her telekinesis, preventing her from falling to the ground. The pink haired girl shot a wave of pink energy from her hands at the ceiling of the warehouse. Suddenly the roof began to crumble and collapse beneath the Team, and the four heroes quickly found themselves tumbling downward.

Robin fired his grappling gun at a beam that was still standing, and used it to swing down and land safely. Miss Martian levitated herself and Artemis to the ground. Kid Flash fell directly on top of a couple thugs, taking them out completely. When the dust cleared, the Team was on their feet and battle ready.

“Finally someone showed up!” Klarion said in his whiny voice. “I was hoping we’d get some of the Justice League, but you brats will do just fine. Won’t they Teekl?” The cat growled in agreement.

“The only brat here is you Klarion.” Artemis sneered, readying an arrow. She pulled back the drawstring of her bow. It briefly was engulfed in a wave of light pink. Her bowstring then snapped. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Artemis said exasperatedly as she fumbled to restring.

“Aw, what bad luck.” Klarion said mockingly. “Have I introduced you to my new toy?” He gestured to the pink hair girl, who stood motionless beside him as if she were in some trance. She suddenly sprang into action, leaping forward and releasing more pink energy from her hands. One wave hit Artemis head on, while others hit beams and caused more of the building to collapse. Kid Flash ran to catch Artemis and push her out of the way of falling debris. Robin threw his birdarangs towards the pink-haired girl, but she cartwheeled and somersaulted away. Miss Martian was busy fighting off thugs with her telekinesis, hurling crates at them.

“M’Gann!” Robin said through this link. “Get the bioship!” Miss Martian took out the last of the thugs and flew through the hole in the ceiling. Kid Flash sped around Klarion, dodging magical blasts. Klarion grew increasingly frustrated as he kept missing, and began to squeal and scream in rage. Kid Flash looked at Klarion while running, feeling confident that he was winning against the witchboy. He failed to see the wave of pink energy flying towards him, and was hit squarely on the chest. Kid Flash ran through the pink wave, and his costume malfunctioned and switched from stealth mode to normal mode. He skidded to a halt.

“Not the best time to be a bright yellow target.” Kid Flash said to himself, tapping his logo to change his suit back. When nothing happened, Kid Flash began to tap it furiously. Robin and Artemis had taken over fighting Klarion. Kid Flash saw the pink-hair girl advance towards him.

“You broke my suit!” He said indignantly. The girl lashed out her hand to hit Kid Flash, which he expertly dodged

“And Artemis’s bowstring.” Kid Flash continued, all the while dodging the girl’s attacks. “And the skylight. And the roof. What’s your deal anyway?” She hurled pink energy at Kid Flash, sending him into a wall. He lay there for a moment, beginning to feel tired out. He should’ve eaten that third sandwich before the mission. His friends were still occupied with a sociopathic chaos fiend, and Kid Flash was alone with mystery destruction girl. Kid Flash felt the solid concrete at his back. He could try it. It’s a risk, but if a bloody nose is the worst that can happen…

“Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky this time.” Kid Flash said out loud, echoing Robin’s words. The girl, who had been approaching him with a crowbar, suddenly dropped her weapon, staggered backwards, and held her head. She stared at Kid Flash.

“Wa—Wally?” She said hoarsely. It was the first word any of them had heard her speak. She spoke it like she had not said anything for a long time. The dazed look she had in her eyes while fighting Kid Flash had appeared to pass.

Kid Flash jumped up in surprise. She knew his name. His name. His secret identity. She knew him. But how? He lifted his goggles off of his eyes in order to stare at her in complete wonder. She looked like a completely new person, not at all the evil companion of Klarion. Their eyes locked. The girl shared the eye contact intently, but suddenly frowned. The new clarity and freshness on the girl’s face vanished as quickly as it came. 

“You’re not my Wally!” She said severely before the fog in her eyes returned and she became a silent instrument of destruction once again. She unleashed a giant volley of pink energy around Kid Flash, causing the ground to crumble and the building to collapse upon him. 

“Time to go!” Klarion said gleefully as the earth shook beneath him. The girl leapt back to her master, and the two were engulfed in dark red flames. They were gone.

“KF! Where are you?” Robin asked over the telepathic link.

“Uh, still inside?” Kid Flash answered sheepishly. The foundation shook, and the roof was toppling around him.

“We’ve already gotten back to the bioship! You’ve got to get out of there, the building is about to collapse. We’ll come help you.”

“Dude, I got this!” Kid Flash turned to stare at the concrete wall, standing as firmly as ever even with the shaking ground and disintegrating ceiling. He took a deep breath charged at the wall. He felt his molecules, his cells, his atoms, vibrating on their own accord, creating heat and energy. He hit the wall, only to be immediately expelled backwards. Kid Flash lay motionless on the ground, blood gushing out of his nose. Failure. The warehouse continued to fall apart around him.

A crate that was hurdling towards his head suddenly stopped in midair, and was tossed aside. Kid Flash felt himself hoisted in midair by some invisible force, and flown out of the building. As he was safely levitated out of the warehouse, it completely collapsed upon itself. Miss Martian removed her camouflage. She had saved him with telekinesis. The two flew into the bioship, where Miss Martian set Kid Flash on the floor. The other two were waiting. Artemis was pissed.

“You idiot!” She snapped. “You almost got yourself killed trying out that stunt! If you died, I would’ve—I—I would’ve wrung your idiot neck!” Artemis’s faltering signaled to Kid Flash that she was more concerned than angry. Of course, that wasn’t to say she wasn’t angry at all...

“Why didn’t you follow us when we ditched the fight for the bioship?” Robin asked with arms crossed. “I thought you were right behind us.”

“I got distracted talking to pinkie.” Kid Flash said. Miss Martian approached with a towel to wipe Kid Flash’s nose and gave it to Artemis--who then flung it in Kid Flash’s face. She was in no mood to play the understanding nurse. 

“Uh thanks.” Kid Flash said. He put the towel over his nose. “I think this bloody nose is the least of my problems.” His voice was nasal and muffled due to the towel. “That girl knew my name! My secret identity!”

“But how? What did she say?” Robin asked.

“Just ‘Wally?’. You know, like she recognized me. But then all of a sudden she got angry at me. She said I wasn’t her Wally, and then she tried to kill me.” 

“Do you know her?” Miss Martian asked.

“No! I mean, if I did, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want to kill me.” Smilingly cockily to himself, the speedster added, “I make pretty good first impressions.” Artemis guffawed.

“Want to bet on that Kid Mouth?” Artemis said. 

“This has turned into a total decon mission.” Robin said regretfully, emphasizing the ‘de’. “We didn’t learn what Klarion is planning, or who the girl is. If anything we only have more questions.”

“Like why Klarion wanted to be discovered.” Miss Martian said. “Or what abilities that girl has.”

“Or how she knew my name.” Kid Flash said. “And if my family is compromised.”

Miss Martian and Robin went to their stations on the bioship. Artemis sat next to Kid Flash, and took the towel from his to carefully tend to his nose.

“I really thought I could do it.” Kid Flash said abruptly. “I really thought I would finally phase through a wall.”

“I know.” Artemis said, becoming more comforting. “And you will master that skill. It’s just incredibly boneheaded to try it out in the middle of battle with an unknown enemy.”

“Sheesh. A couple weeks of dating and you still won’t let me get away with anything.” Kid Flash said, oblivious to the parallel between those words and Kent Nelson’s last words to him. Artemis lightly touched his shoulder. They weren’t a couple like M’gann and Connor, who were always making out, cuddling, and being cute together. Artemis and Wally were more subtle and casual. Back and forth banter was the closest they usually came to public displays of affection. Private displays of affection were a wholly different matter.

“Yea that’s definitely not changing anytime soon.” Artemis said.


	3. Twins

Mount Justice  
January 21, 1:12 EDT

The bioship landed at Mount Justice, and Robin and Artemis returned to the briefing room while Kid Flash stopped at the bathroom to wash the blood off his face. Miss Martian had split off from the group to reunite with Superboy. When Robin and Artemis entered the main hall, they were surprised to find Batman, Red Tornado, and the Flash waiting for them. The rest of the Team was nowhere in sight. They all had grave looks on their faces. 

“Where’s Kid Flash?” Batman said in his harsh monotone. Right on cue, Kid Flash sped into the briefing room.

“Here I am, hope I didn’t miss the debriefing.” He said. Kid Flash spotted his uncle. “It’s a good thing you’re here. I think we have a problem.”

“We do.” Batman said. “Red Tornado, collect a DNA sample from Kid Flash.” Red Tornado nodded and began advancing towards Kid Flash.

“What gives?” Kid Flash said in protest. He dodged Red Tornado and sped away. Artemis began to ready her bow, but Robin shook his head and put her arm down. Kid Flash ran around the room briefly to evade Red Tornado, but was easily caught by the Flash. His mentor plucked a hair off Kid Flash’s head. 

“Sorry kid.” Flash said apologetically. “We just need to check a few things.”

The Flash handed the sample to Batman, who went to the computer and scanned for DNA. The DNA profile from the hair came on the screen. The neighboring screen started sorting through other DNA profiles rapidly before settling on a match. 

“What’s going on?” Robin asked. “And where’s the rest of the team? We need to talk about our mission.”

“We will get to that.” Batman said, not looking away from the computer screen. “First we need to confirm something.”

Batman stepped away from the computer, revealing the results. The DNA from the hair matched the DNA profile of Wally West.

“Way to go Batman.” Kid Flash said sarcastically. “You just confirmed that I’m Wally West. Your detective skills amaze me.”

“You could spare me the attitude.” Batman said gruffly. He typed something into the computer, bringing up a third DNA profile. The words ‘Match’ blared in red underneath all three samples. “I wasn’t trying to confirm your identity, I was trying to confirm someone else’s. Your DNA is actually the second profile to be matched to Wally West tonight.” Kid Flash’s eyes widened at the implications of that statement.

“It can’t be a clone.” Robin said. “I destroyed the genetic material of KF that was collected at Cadmus.”

“Interdimensional twin.” Batman said bluntly. “The other half of the Team ran into him while you were in San Francisco and they were in Phoenix. He’s looking for Klarion.” Batman went to the computer and pulled up images of the pink-haired girl. “He identified this girl as Jinx, his girlfriend. She was allegedly kidnapped by Klarion and taken to our dimension. The other Kid Flash somehow found a way to follow them here so he can rescue and return her to their home-dimension.”

“Um, could you elaborate on the interdimensional twin part?” Kid Flash asked. The Flash stepped forward.

“Basically he’s you,” The Flash said. “but he’s living a completely different life in another universe. Different experiences, different team, different girlfriend, you get the idea.”

“There are minor differences in appearance and personality as well.” Batman added. In Robin’s mind, something clicked.

“This explains how that girl—Jinx—recognized Wally.” Robin realized. Laughing, he added, “and why she got so pissed when she figured out he was the wrong one!”

“Speaking of Jinx, she is a reformed criminal in her home-dimension, but she has been hostile since entering our universe.” Batman continued briskly. “We’re currently exploring theories of mind control and magical possession”

“Soooo,” Kid Flash began. “What now? Do we track down my twin?”

“We know where your twin is.” Batman said. “Once we questioned him and determined he was not a threat, we brought him here. The rest of the Team is keeping watch over him. I believe they’re in the kitchen.”

“Hey, that’s exactly where I was hoping to go!” Kid Flash said excitedly. He grabbed Artemis and Robin by the arms. “Come on! Let’s go meet my twin!” He began to drag them to the kitchen.

“You’re taking this rather well.” Robin said as Kid Flash pulled him forward. 

“It’s gonna be awesome.” Kid flash said, not stopping. “I’m like the coolest person I know, why wouldn’t I want to a chance to literally become best friends with me?”

“Way to be fuller of yourself than usual Wally.” Artemis said snarkily.

“Hey, you should be excited too!” Kid Flash said to Artemis. “I mean, two of me? Dream come true right?”

“Right now it sounds more like my own personal circle of hell.” She replied. 

The three finally got into the kitchen. The remainder of the Team—Miss Martian, Aqualad, Zatanna, Rocket, and Superboy—were gathered around a near identical duplicate of Kid Flash. The physical differences were subtle. This other Kid Flash was leaner in build, more streamlined for running. His hair was the same vibrant red, but was longer and reminiscent of a roadrunner’s feathers. His costume had the same colors, but the logo was slightly different. He also had bright blue eyes instead of green. The other Kid Flash interrupted his story when he saw Kid Flash and Robin come in.

“Finally some familiar faces!” the other Kid Flash exclaimed. He zipped across the room to the two boys. He came face to face with his twin. They circled around each other.

“Sweet.” They both said in unison. 

“Didn’t realize how ruggedly handsome I was until now.” Other KF said. The two Kid Flashes laughed together before Other KF continued. “We might need to think of a system. Two Kid Flashes might get confusing.”

“I’ll be Wally, and you’ll be Kid Flash.” Kid Flash offered.

“Nah I’ll be Wally, you be Kid Flash,” insisted his twin.

“How about our KF be Wally.” Robin spoke up. “Cause we already call him that anyway.” The two speedsters nodded. Kid Flash (as the interdimensional traveler was now to be known) inspected Robin.

“You’re a little younger than the Robin I know, but you’re definitely a sharper dresser than he is. But he does have cool hair. Like this.” KF dashed behind Robin and tussled his hair. Before anyone could blink, Kid Flash was in his original position, and Robin’s hair was sticking up in coarse spikes. 

“Ehh, not exactly your look.” Kid Flash said. “Maybe you’ll grow into it.” Robin began to smooth his hair. At this point Kid Flash finally noticed Artemis. In a flash he was right next to her.

“Have we been introduced? I’m Kid Flash, honorary Titan, fastest boy alive, and debonair renaissance man.” Kid Flash said with a cheeky smirk on his face. “And you are?”

“Artemis.” Artemis stated icily. “Team member, archer, not interested.” Other KF winced. 

“Ouch.” He said defeated. “I was just saying hi. Actually, you kind of remind me of—“ 

“Finish your story!” Miss Martian called from the larger group. To the others, she explained, “He’s been telling us all about his universe and his adventures. He was just explaining how he met Jinx.”

“Oh right!” Kid Flash darted back to his spot in the middle of the group. The three newcomers joined the group as well.

“So I’m in the Hive Five base,” Kid Flash explained. “And I’m just running around, messing with their stuff, making them all frustrated. Three of them corner me, and the little rude guy was about to trap me in a containment field. Then I say ‘You do realize I can vibrate my molecules through solid objects right?’ Then I vibrated my molecules and phased through the wall before they could do anything. Ha, you should’ve seen their faces!” 

“Can you vibrate your molecules?” Zatanna asked her team’s Kid Flash. He abruptly crossed him arms.

“I almost did it earlier tonight.” Wally said rapidly, trying to mask his agitation. “I could probably do it right now if I wasn’t so hungry. But someone ate all of the food.” Kid Flash smiled guiltily.

Kid Flash continued on with the story of how he met Jinx. He told them about how he tried to talk to Jinx, but she turned out to be a villain named Madame Rouge in disguise. The villainess fought him to exhaustion, and he hid in an empty building to rest. Jinx found and captured him with a Level 4 Containment Field, hoping to impress Madame Rouge. KF explained how Jinx felt her powers made her destined for evil, and thought an evil organization called the Brotherhood of Evil was the only place she could belong. Jinx almost handed him over to Madame Rouge, but freed him instead. Jinx made the decision to leave the city and crime, and as she was leaving she found something Kid Flash had left behind for her—a single red rose.

By the end of the story, the girls on the Team were half in love with this new Kid Flash themselves.

“That is the most adorable, romantic thing I’ve ever heard.” Miss Martian squealed. “Even better than episode 22 when—nevermind.”

“Did she find you again after that? Switch to the good side? I would’ve.” Zatanna said, with a dreamy look.

“You do know how to spin a good tale.” Aqualad.

“It wasn’t that great a story.” Wally said grumpily in the back. “Artemis, what do you—“

“You went through all that effort to get her to switch sides even though she tried to kill you,” Artemis interrupted, completely engrossed in the newcomer’s story. “And you’ve crossed dimensions just so you can find her again?”

“Yup.” Kid Flash said. “When you meet the girl of your dreams, you’ll go to any length to save her.”

There was a collective sigh amongst the female members of the group. 

“Lame!” Wally suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at him. “What? I know I wasn’t the only one thinking it.”

“Look it’s almost 2 in the morning.” Rocket said. “We need to sleep if we’re going to rescue anyone. I’m heading home.” Other members of the Team, finally realizing exactly how late is was, wandered off to their quarters or to the zeta beam. Artemis gathered up her things.

“I should get back. My mom’s probably freaking out.” Artemis said. “And I’ve got school tomorrow.” Kid Flash darted in front of her.

“I could run you home if you want.” Kid Flash said. “Believe me, there’s no faster way to get around."

“I’ll run her home.” Wally insisted coming between them awkwardly. 

“Actually I think I’ll just take the zeta beam.” Artemis said. She left quickly, not in the mood to deal with either Kid Flash. The two were now alone in the kitchen. Wally had his arms crossed, and looked decidedly annoyed. Kid Flash found a bag of crackers. They were expired and extremely stale. Like a true West, he began to eat them anyway.

“Sooo,” Wally said to his twin. “How long are you gracing us with your presence?”

“As long as it takes.” Kid Flash said between bites. “Well, my buddy Herald said he would get me in four days, and that was a day ago, so I’m hoping to be ready to go home in three days. Our dimensions don’t line up exactly, so if I don’t hitch a ride with Herald in three days, it’ll be months before he can get me again.”

“Uh huh.” Wally said. “Well then don’t make yourself too at home. We’ll get your girlfriend back so you can leave asap.” His twin stopped chewing and sighed.

“Look,” Kid Flash said, putting down the box of crackers. “I get what’s going on. You feel threatened because I’m faster, more experienced, better looking and, let’s just say it, more charming than you. But you shouldn’t let that bother you because I am you! We’re closer than brothers!”

“I’m an only child.” Wally said irritated. “And you definitely are not better than me at anything. You haven’t even seen how fast I can run.”

“I talked to Flash,” KF confessed. “He told me about your issues. You can’t phase through a paper bag without getting a nosebleed and you’ve never hit lightspeed. He just figured that since we’re the same person and I’ve overcome the obstacles that you’re still struggling with, I could help you. I’ll help you with anything, lightspeed, molecule vibration, girls—“

“I don’t have girl problems!” Wally sputtered. “I have a girlfriend!”

“Who?” Kid Flash widened his eyes. He slapped his forehead. “Ohh, it’s the archer right? That explains why I tried to flirt with her.”

“You can’t flirt with Artemis.” Wally said, getting in his twins face. Kid Flash staggered back.

“Don’t you get it? I’m you! I’m attracted to her because you are! You might even act the same way when you meet Jinx.”

“I’ve met her. Evil pink haired twig who has “bad luck” powers? Not my type.” Wally said. His twin narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t talk about Jinx like that.” Kid Flash said, his voice low. “Her powers aren’t a hoax, and she isn’t evil. She never was.” Frowning, Kid Flash made a decision. He went nose-to-nose with this twin. 

“Ok, tomorrow I’m going to find her without your help and rescue her in record time. You know, set the bar high for Kid Flashes everywhere.”

“Go ahead.” Wally spat. “This universe has enough speedsters anyway. Just grab your creepy girlfriend and run off into the sunset. I don’t care.”

The two Kid Flashes stormed out of the room, Kid Flash into the living room to crash on the couch, and his twin heading to the zeta beam to go home. Before Wally teleported home, he had already made up his mind. 

He was going to rescue Jinx right out from under his upstart twin’s nose. He would show everyone--his Team, his mentor, Artemis—that he was the better Wally West.


	4. Anti-Magic

Salem, MA  
January 21, 18:23

Wally was impressed with himself. He did a lot detective work and sneaking around over the past day. Ok, Robin helped out a little bit, but this was definitely a solo mission for Wally. No one—except for Robin—knew he was in Massachusetts. He slept for a good six hours and skipped school to go back to the Mount Justice. Miss Martian, Zatanna, and Superboy were all at school, and Red Tornado was lured out of the cave (Robin really was a lifesaver). This gave Wally ample time to suit up, eat a snack, and grab the bioship.

Well, there was the complication of his interdimensional twin staying in the cave. Wally wasn’t too worried. The day before had been an exciting one for Kid Flash, which included a lot of running. If Wally knew himself well, and he liked to think he did, his twin would be dead asleep, storing up energy for the next day. There was a chance that Kid Flash would be awake already, but Wally didn’t count on it. Even in a situation as dire as a kidnapped girlfriend, a speedster has to sleep. Wally was accustomed to staying up at all hours during missions and going to school early the next day, so the transition was much less jarring. Whatever hero life was like in Kid Flash’s universe, he was used to getting his beauty sleep. When Wally snuck into Mount Justice, his twin was asleep like a log.

After borrowing the bioship, Wally went back to San Francisco to dig through the rubble of that warehouse for any clues. There wasn’t much to find, so he hit up Robin again. Robin was in French class, and happily obliged to lend his hacking services. Of course, Wally had no idea of what to ask him. He had absolutely zero leads.   
Luckily, Robin had an idea. He looked at news reports through the Justice League database. He used San Francisco as a starting point, but his investigation led him to a string of suspicious activity in New England. Several witnesses reported sighting strange pink energy before something bizarre happened—the collapse of a perfectly sturdy house, a citizen randomly losing control of his car, the sudden destruction of a high school football field. Robin triangulated these reports and sightings to highlight an area that his best friend could search. Salem, Massachusetts was in the middle of this area. Robin felt that two magical villains being nearby Salem, the site of the infamous witch trials, was too much of a coincidence. He told Wally to start there first.

Wally was satisfied with his day of detective work. Way to go Wall-man! He congratulated himself. He dropped out of the camouflaged bioship and began to run the perimeter of the town. He wore his stealth clothing, and activated his night vision goggles. He zoomed around the perimeter, and then ran a grid through the nearby forests. After coming up with nothing, Wally decided to enter the town. 

Evening had fallen, and the streets were strangely deserted. Wally didn’t know what sort of people lived in Salem, but he figured someone ought to be outside at 6:30 pm. This was weird, uncanny. Something awful was at work here.

"Not magic though. Because magic doesn’t exist," Wally thought uncertainly. His experience with Kent Nelson and Doctor Fate put a dent in his world view, but he wasn’t ready to admit it. "And neither does luck. Or bad luck. And this isn’t even a magical place. It’s just a historical site." 

The deserted town was really creeping Wally out. Here and there he saw a citizen hastily draw their curtains, or heard the distinct clicks of a door being locked. The people were hiding from something. 

Wally swallowed. No matter what evil lurked in the darkness, he would confront it alone. 

Wally abandoned his breakneck pace for much slower, but still undetectable speed. The speedster maneuvered through the shadows with ease. Months of stealth and reconnaissance missions really helped remedy his impulsivity and clumsiness. 

Nothing. There was no one around and nothing to see. Wally would have given up and moved on if he didn’t have such a horrible feeling heavily weighing down his gut. Unsure of what to do, he messed with his goggles, toggling the different vision modes. That’s how he noticed it.

On the street where Wally was standing, a book store was warped. No, it wasn’t just the store. The space encompassing the store itself was warped, with a slight concavity. It was very subtle, and Wally’s normal eye sight would not have caught it. He had no idea which vision mode he had set his goggles to—Robin was the tech guru—but now the curved imperfections of the store were clearly visible. Obviously Klarion and his goons had set up some complex hologram that concealed their location within Salem. This was worth investigating.

Wally quickly approached the book store’s entrance. The window was dark, and several rows of used books appeared to fill the small shop. He contemplated his next move. If it’s a hologram, Wally would be able to pass right through it. The question was whether the front door was the best way to stealthily enter a building full of hostiles. He could trigger an alarm, get caught by some henchman, or even run into his twin’s brainwashed girlfriend. 

Wally sighed. Molecule vibration would really come in handy about now. Well, if there was no other way in, he had no choice but to risk the front door. He opened the door and leapt through swiftly before he could change his mind. He sped behind a corner for cover, and waited to be discovered. No alarm sounded, and no henchmen appeared. Confused, Wally cautiously emerged from his hiding place to inspect his whereabouts. Wally’s jaw hit the floor.

It was bigger on the inside.

"Way too cool," Wally thought. This hologram was even more complicated and amazing than he thought. The tiny book shop he saw outside was actually an enormous garage. The spacial distortion of the hologram must also conceal the size of the little shop. The room was massive, littered with crates and what appeared to be mechanical equipment. 

Remaining cautious, Wally opened a crate. It was full of some strange pink rocks. He picked one up. It was definitely some sort of crystal, but not a valuable gem or anything. What could they be for? The rocks were also covered in a weird residue, but Wally didn’t have the equipment to collect any samples. He moved on. This was a rescue mission after all.

 

The sound of approaching footfalls spurred Wally into action. He sped through a corridor away from the garage, taking care to pause at each corner to check if the coast was clear. This facility, whatever it was for, was immense on the inside. Before rounding another corner, Wally spotted some large men heading his way. They looked like classic evil henchmen, except they had long, curved horns. He backpedaled before he was seen, and dived behind another door. The two guards continued to approach, but Wally remained carefully hidden. 

For the Team member who was probably the least skilled at infiltration, Wally was doing a good job. The security in this facility was incredibly lax. Wally thought about how easy it was to find the warehouse in San Francisco and considered the possibility of this being a trap. Why would a trap be so cleverly concealed by that hologram? No, the reason there was hardly anyone around was because Klarion believed his hologram would fool the Justice League. 

Wally was pleased at how favorably everything was turning out. Maybe luck actually was on his side.

And then an alarm shrieked throughout the building. The guards Wally was hiding from sprinted forward. Wally, who was stuck in a broom closet, panicked. Having nowhere to go, Wally positioned himself in front of the door so he could dash out the moment it opened.

The guards ran right passed Wally, not even looking at the door. 

“We’re going to corner him in the garage!” One guard said into a radio as he ran past Wally’s hiding place. Suddenly Wally heard two surprised cries and the sounds of a brief scuffle outside the door. He poked his head outside, and saw the two horned guards passed out on the ground.

“What on earth—“ Wally began before he saw a dark figure blaze past him. He heard more shouts and the figure came back, speeding right past Wally for a second time. 

“No freaking way!” Wally exclaimed out loud. He couldn’t believe this. That speeding figure was most definitely Kid Flash dressed in one of Wally’s stealth suits. That upstart somehow followed Wally to Salem, and now he was causing complete havoc inside. 

So much for stealth, or luck for that matter. 

Wally slipped out of the closet, but before he could pursue he was sent flying by someone charging into his back. He tumbled down the hall, his limbs tangled with his attacker’s. When they finally broke apart, Wally and Kid Flash met face to face.

“YOU!”

The sound of gunfire sent both of them scrambling for cover. They both sprinted behind a corner until the gunfire died down. Wally could no longer picture where he was in the building—it was like a labrynth, and hallways led to places that didn’t make sense. There was stuff everywhere, desks, book cases, and stairs, stairs, stairs. Before he could ask his twin anything, Kid Flash violently shoved Wally’s shoulder.

"What the hell Wally?" Kid Flash whispered fiercely. "You've blown my cover and probably ruined my chances to rescue Jinx."

"You blew your own cover way back there." Wally replied. "If anything you blew my cover. I was actually trying to be covert."

"Slow and sneaky isn't exactly my style."

"If running around like a headless chicken is your style, then you deserve to get captured! Or worse!"

"Quiet! I think someone is coming..."

The two speedsters scrambled, frantically running around the room for a hiding spot. They both dove behind a desk—the same desk. Grunting out of annoyance, the two sped somewhere else. Again they ended up in the exact spot, behind a file cabinet. Unwilling to give in, the two tried to punch and shove each other away from the cabinet. Their attacks, however, completely mirrored each other, allowing the speedsters to counter each other’s shoves. They were naturally predicting each other’s movements, and thus were unable to land a single blow. 

The whole interdimensional twin thing was really getting annoying.

“How did you find this place?” Wally demanded while throwing a punch at his twin’s face. “Did you follow me?”

“No!” Kid Flash said, easily dodging Wally’s fist. “Call it twin’s intuition.” Kid Flash tried to hit Wally in the gut, but his punch was once again easily evaded by his twin. 

“But you did steal one of my spare suits.” Wally said. He swung his leg to get Kid Flash off balance, but the speedster jumped over it with perfect timing. “Stay still for a sec will you!” Kid Flash laughed.

“I borrowed it. I wouldn’t have seen through the illusion without it.” Jumping away from Wally, Kid Flash toggled through the vision settings of his goggles. “These goggles are way too cool, and the anti-magic setting is awesome. You’ve got cool stuff in this universe.”

“Anti-what?” Wally exclaimed. “You’ve got it wrong, it was just a hologram outside.”

“You’re getting a little flustered.” Kid Flash said coolly. “It was definitely a magical illusion. I’ve witnessed enough magic to recognize a simple glamor when I see it.” Wally bristled at the mention of magic. 

“But really,” Kid Flash continued. “I don’t need you slowing me down. Thanks for the help so far though.” He gave Wally a cocky salute before dashing off, only to be knocked back by red magical energy. 

Klarion strolled into the room with his creepy cat in his arms. He held out a hand towards Kid Flash and a red orb engulfed the speedster. Kid Flash pounded and bounced against its walls, but remained trapped. Klarion then cocked his head towards Wally.

“We’re going to have so much fun tonight Teekl,” said Klarion. 

The last thing Wally remembered was Klarion extended his free hand and a flash of red light.


	5. Halfway

Wally’s head throbbed with a dull, repetitive thud. His muscles ached, but as he regained consciousness he discovered his wrists, ankles, and torso were pinned down. He opened his eyes. He really was pinned to a wall. Again. If Artemis or the Team were here, he would quip that he was always getting chained up in dungeons. At another place at another time, this wouldn’t be that bad. Even in the enemy’s grasp, Wally West would always find himself hilarious.

He almost chuckled when he heard Kid Flash groaning. Unlike Wally, Kid Flash was laying on the floor contained by a flickering force field. Of course that would be the only way to contain Kid Flash—he could vibrate his molecules out of any prison cell. It made Wally, who was just telling himself a pretty darn good joke, feel even more bitter towards his twin. Kid Flash’s superiority was so well-known, that even Klarion knew to stick him in the ultra-complex force field and Wally in the chains. 

Wait a second. Why would Klarion use a force field instead of his mag—uh usual tricks?

Think of the devil and he will appear. Klarion the Witch Boy entered the room, his hair-horns as sharp as ever. He came with no guards or weapons—just his cat, a testament to how confident Klarion was that he could take the both of them if need be. Still, there was something off about him. Usually Klarion let Teekl roam while he did his evil business, but since the encounter in San Francisco Wally hadn’t seen Teekl’s paws touch the ground. The creepy kid turned to Wally.

“I’ve wanted to get back you,” Klarion said. “Ever since you pulled that stunt with Dr. Fate.”

“Is that what this is all about?” Wally asked. “Extremely belated revenge?”

“Ofcourse not. It’s just an unexpected perk.” He turned his back to Wally and stood before Kid Flash. 

"I'll start with you since we don't have much time," Klarion said. Kid Flash remained restrained by the containment field, but he maintained defiant eye contact with the witch boy. "But you know that right?"

Teekl the cat meowed.

"People can't just switch dimensions," he said. He slowly pet the cat, methodically stoking from the top of the head to the tip of the tail with his sharp, black fingernails. "To stick around this long, you need an anchor. Now, my anchor is Teekl. Dr. Fate's anchor is a helmet. But what's anchoring you?"

Maybe he was feeding off his twin’s emotions, or maybe it was just the general hostility permeating the room, but Wally started gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Kid Flash remained prostrate on the ground in rebellious silence. 

“Is it her?” Klarion wondered aloud. He brought a pale hand to his chin. “But that can’t be true. I temporarily anchored her to Teekl, so if you were anchored to her I would sense it. Poor kitty gets so pooped supporting two people.” Teekl purred. The sound was sickening, but at least it explained why Teekl was being carted around like a prize poodle.

“What do you even want with us?” Kid Flash asked. His voice was low and dangerous. “What is Jinx to you?”

“Hey I’m asking the questions here!” Klarion shrieked. His eyes, creepy enough on a good day, became red and beady. “How are you doing it? How are you here? Tell me tell me tell me!” KIarion jumped up and down with every intonation, threatening to stomp on his captive. When Kid Flash didn’t speak, Klarion raised his hand and release red lighting from his hands. Whatever type of attack it was, Kid Flash gasped and writhed in pain. Klarion’s torture ceased after Teekl impatient MROW.

“You’re right, you’re right.” Klarion said to his cat. “I can get answers later. We have more important things to accomplish tonight.” 

Klarion strode out of the room and slammed the heavy metal door. Apart from the light buzzing of the containment field, there was absolute silence.   
This was something Wally could not endure.

“Dude!” Wally whispered. “Dude!” Kid Flash slowly rolled on his side and looked in Wally’s direction.

“What?”

“Let’s do a little less moping and a little more escaping.”

“I wasn’t moping,” Kid Flash whispered fiercely. He waited a beat before continuing. “I was doing the thing were you act like you’ve lost so that the villain tells you everything you need to know.” 

This strategy rang a bell. When Wally delivered a heart to Queen Perdita, he used that exact tactic to get Count Vertigo to lose his diplomatic immunity. Thanks to a little acting, Vertigo got a first-class ticket to Belle Reve. 

“Dude, you didn’t do it right,” Wally said. “You got to ask leading questions, not interrogate them. What is this, amateur hour?” 

“Hey, if I were the amateur, I would be up there with you instead of stuck in this containment field,” Kid Flash said. That stung. Wally grumbled and looked away from his twin. Well, as far away as he could while being chained to a wall. 

“Anyways,” Kid Flash said. “We do know a couple things. One, he doesn’t plan on keeping Jinx around very long. And two, he is planning something tonight. That’s enough for me. Does anyone know you are here?”

“Robin does. The bioship is here, so I’m pretty easily trackable,” Wally said. “I’m not sure how they will get, like, here here. Inside this place.”

“Yeah.” No backup was on its way.

They devolved into uncomfortable silence for a while longer. Wally was stuck figuring out Klarion. If only Robin liked being around. Wally mostly liked being the repository of scientific knowledge and pop culture trivia, not the detective. But even so, Wally couldn’t stop turning over the conversation with Klarion in his head, the behavior of his cat, his choice to minimize his magic use through technology and short fights. If Klarion wasn’t lying, his cat was anchoring him and Jinx to this mortal plane. This must have set him off his game, made him more weak and vulnerable. Kid Flash was right—if anchoring an extra person was putting that much stress on the cat, then Klarion really didn’t plan on keeping Jinx around. Escape was becoming more and more urgent.

“Hey,” Wally whispered. Kid Flash had turned away from his again, and lay there despondently. “Are you fake-moping or real moping?” Kid Flash didn’t answer. Wally’s patience thinned.

“What is wrong with you? I can’t believe you are me in another universe. How can you fight crime or save lives if you just act on every impulse?” Wally was yelling now. “How can you waltz into my life, act like the big hero, Wally 2.0, and then give up! Seriously, am I the only one who sees what is wrong here?

“You’re right!’ Kid Flash said. His voice, normally suave and composed, was ragged. “You’re right. I’m not really a great hero. I mean, I thought I was, but ever since I got to this universe, all I’ve done is piggyback off you.” He lay on his back now, and spoke directly at the ceiling. “Running around like a headless chicken really is my only strategy. I don’t track things, I don’t interrogate villains, I don’t sneak around. I don’t even have cool gear. Running is all I do and all I have.”

They had already endured many silences in this room, but this one was the most devastating. It made sense. When Wally ran into Jinx in San Francisco, Kid Flash was all the way in Phoenix, Arizona—the actual opposite end of the West coast. Kid Flash may not have even gotten this close to Jinx had he not followed Wally and stolen one of Wally’s suits. The pit of Wally’s stomach churned. Was that hunger? Guilt? A little bit of both?

“Bro,” Wally said. “I had no idea. This whole time I was being all jealous of you, I didn’t think you were also jealous of me.”

“It’s a two way street, I guess,” Kid Flash said. It was liberating to get this all out in the open, but they had to get out of this cell and get into action soon. For all they knew, Jinx was running out of time. 

“You, uh, care about Jinx right?” Wally asked. Kid Flash rolled towards him again. “You traveled across the dimensions of time and space to get here, right?”

“Yea.”

“Well that’s pretty heroic. And pretty damn smooth,” Wally said. “You got to admit that.” Kid Flash cracked a grin.

“I guess it is.”

“But no one is going to see it that way if Jinx doesn’t make it out of here alive,” Wally said. He took a deep breath. 

“Teach me how to vibrate my molecules,” Wally said quickly. Kid Flash’s eyes widened. “You can’t move and we have no backup, so it’s our only shot.” Kid Flash nodded and wriggled on the ground in an attempt to get closer to Wally.

“I think what’s holding you back is that you don’t understand our powers,” Kid Flash said. “When we use our powers, we tap into the Speed Force. It’s uhh…”

“The extra-dimensional energy that powers superspeed,” Wally finished. “I know all about that.”

“But it’s not just energy,” Kid Flash said. “It’s space. It’s around us and within us. By internalizing and externalizing Speed Force, we manipulate our dimensions.” Wally lost feeling in his arms, but he still snapped his numb fingers.

“That’s it!” Wally exclaimed. “That’s how you are in this dimension without an anchor! You are anchored to the Speed Force! Ha, Klarion would never even guess—“

“Stay focused Wally,” Kid Flash said. 

Wally shut his eyes. He began breathing deeply, and visualized an atom. No, a wall of atoms. The wall he had to break through. “You have to internalize the Speed Force,” Kid Flash said. His voice seemed farther away, indistinct and whispery as if from a dream. See the space between your atoms. Now he thought of his own atoms, bouncing and gyrating against each other. Though the movements were erratic and unpredictable, for brief moments Wally could see that gaps between the atoms. Oh man, those gaps seemed to expand large enough to house an entire football field. The Speed Force was flooding his body, his consciousness. Build the kinetic energy. The atoms’ movement became more rapid, frantic, but the space between continued to increase in size. They were spinning, bouncing, twisting, and Wally limbs shook as if he may lose momentum at any moment.  
MOVE!

All Wally could remember was the sound of metal clamoring to the ground and his own face hitting the floor. He jumped up ecstatically.

“I did it!” Wally exclaimed. A small trail of blood dribbled down his nose and onto his upper lip.“I vibrated through something! I finally did it!” 

“Uh,” Kid Flash said. “Not really, but you did make your restraints explode. But hey, you’re halfway there!” 

The fragments of the chains that once restrained Wally were scattered on the ground. So he didn’t completely vibrate through them, big deal. The important thing was that the mission wasn’t over. Wally wiped the blood away from his nose and disabled the containment field by smashing a nearby generator. Kid Flash groaned and Wally helped him to his feet. Kid Flash shook his limbs out.

“My feet fell asleep,” Kid Flash said. He jogged in place for a moment. “Better.” Kid Flash vibrated through the metal door and opened it from the other side. “After you my brother.”

“Thank ye kindly,” Wally replied with a salute. “What do you say we tear this place down?”

“Sounds like a plan I can get behind.”


End file.
